American Airlines 737s flying under same callsign, same day, same route

Two American Airlines Boeing 737-800s were airborne in the same sector near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) under the callsign “American 2482” shortly after midnight on the 14th of August 2026, a duplication the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now investigating. One aircraft was arriving from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD/KORD), the other had just departed Phoenix (PHX/KPHX) for Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD/KORD).

Flightradar24 data showed the arriving flight descending through 11,000 feet while the departure was climbing toward 9,000 feet when the crews and the controller working the sector identified the duplication. The FAA said required separation was maintained throughout, and neither aircraft has been reported as receiving a collision avoidance resolution advisory.

American Airlines uses flight number 2482 in both directions on the Chicago to Phoenix route, normally with a single aircraft turning around at Phoenix. The inbound leg was delayed by weather and landed at 00:13 local time against a scheduled arrival of 10:43. Rather than hold the return service, the carrier assigned a second 737-800 already at Phoenix, which departed at 11:58. Both aircraft were airborne under the same identifier at the same time, on the same frequency.

Where a duplication is anticipated, the second flight is normally refiled under a different number before pushback, or a letter D is appended to the callsign. Neither step was taken.

Once the conflict became apparent, the controller began addressing the aircraft as “American 2482 on the arrival” and “American 2482 on the departure,” restricted the departing jet to 9,000 feet, kept the arrival above it, and passed traffic advisories to both crews as the tracks converged. Both reported the other aircraft in sight.

On frequency, the controller told the crews he had not seen two aircraft pass each other under the same callsign in 25 years of working traffic, adding that it could have been disastrous.

Aircraft Information Arriving:

Airline: American Airlines

Code: AA/AAL

Aircraft: Boeing 737-823

Registration: N946NN

Serial Number: 33234

Engines: 2 x CFMI CFM56-7B24

First Flew: 21st January 2014

Age: 12 Years

Aircraft Information Departing:

Airline: American Airlines

Code: AA/AAL

Aircraft: Boeing 737-823

Registration: N925AN

Serial Number: 29526

Engines: 2 x CFMI CFM56-7B24

First Flew: 7th December 1999

Age: 26 Years

Looking back on Saudia flight 163

SAUDIA BOEING 777-368 HZ-AK42 (MSN 62762)

Saudia Flight 163 was a scheduled Saudia passenger flight that caught fire after takeoff from Riyadh International Airport (RUH/OERY), Saudi Arabia (now known as the Riyadh Air Base) en route to Jeddah International Airport (JED/OEJD) Saudi Arabia on the 19th of August 1980. All 287 passengers and 14 crew on board the Lockheed L-1011-200 TriStar died from smoke inhalation after the aircraft made a successful emergency landing at Riyadh. Flight SV163 landed at Riyadh at 16:06 GMT for a scheduled intermediate stop after a flight from Karachi. 

At 18:08 the aircraft took off for the final leg to Jeddah. Six minutes and 54 seconds after takeoff, while climbing to FL350, visual and aural warnings indicated smoke in the aft cargo compartment C-3. Climbing through FL220 (at 18:20), a return to Riyadh was initiated. About two minutes later smoke was noted in the aft of the cabin, and passengers were panicking. At 18:25:26 the no. 2 engine throttle was stuck. The fire had by then entered the cabin of the TriStar. Because passengers where fighting in the aisles, aft of doors L2 and R2, the captain asked everybody to remain seated (18:27:40). On final approach engine no. 2 was shut down, and the captain told the cabin crew not to evacuate. Flight SV163 landed back at Riyadh runway 01 at 18:36:24 The crew continued to a taxiway and told the tower that they were going to shut the engines down and evacuate. The engines were shut down at 18:42:18. Because no evacuation had been initiated by then, crash, fire and rescue personnel tried to open the doors. At about 19:05 they succeeded in opening door 2R. About three minutes later, the interior was seen to be engulfed in flames. None of the occupants survived the fire.

Probable Cause:

"The initiation of a fire in the C-3 cargo compartment. The source of the ignition of the fire is undetermined. Factors contributing to the fatal results of this accident were 1) the failure of the captain to prepare the cabin crew for immediate evacuation upon landing and his failure in not making a maximum stop landing on the runway, with immediate evacuation, 2) the failure of the captain to properly utilize his flight crew throughout the emergency 3) the failure of C/F/R headquarters management personnel to ensure that its personnel had adequate equipment and training to function as required during an emergency."

The accident is the deadliest involving a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, as well as the deadliest aviation disaster to occur in Saudi Arabia to date. 

Aircraft Information
Airline: Saudi Arabian Airlines
Code: SV/SVA
Aircraft: Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 200
Registration: HZ-AHK
Serial Number: 1169
Engines: 3 x RB211-524B402
First Flew: 13/07/1979
Age: 11 Months 

Spotting at Gold Coast airport on a rainy Monday

This weekend was the Pacific Airshow on the Gold Coast, Australia’s biggest beachfront aviation event. Spanning three days along the Surfers Paradise coastline, it featured over five hours each day of aerial stunts, military jets, and vintage warbird displays. Over the next few days (time permitting), I’ll be sorting through the 5,000 photos I took and posting some of them here. My family and I arrived on the coast on Friday and checked out this morning, but instead of heading north towards home, we went south to the Gold Coast Airport to watch some of the display aircraft depart.

LLOYD AVIATION DASSUALT FALCON 900C VH-PPD (MSN 185)

AIR NEW ZEALAND AIRBUS A321-271NX ZK-NNE (MSN 8799)
NZ187 ARRIVING FROM AUCKLAND (AKL) 7 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-232 VH-XSJ (MSN 5482)
JQ431 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 13 YEARS

UNITED STATES MAIRNE CORP BELL-BOEING MV22B OSPREY
168345 (MSN D0248) 

UNITED STATES MAIRNE CORP BELL-BOEING MV22B OSPREY
168642 (MSN D0297)

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE MK VIII VH-HET (MSN MV239)

COMMONWEALTH CA-18 MUSTANG VH-SVU (MSN A68170)

QANTASLINK AIRBUS A220-300 VH-X4J (MSN 55409)
QLK1573 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 8 MONTHS

CAPITAL JET CHARTER PILATUS PC-24 VH-88K (MSN 321)
OFF TO ALBURY (ABX) 3 YEARS

CESSNA CITATION LATITUDE VH-UCE (MSN 680A0316)

EXTRA EA-300 L VH-IOG (MSN 100)

AIRWAYS AVIATION CESSNA 182T SKYLINE VH-TOE (MSN 18282366)

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-251NX VH-OFY (MSN 11410)
JQ499 OFF TO ADELAIDE (ADL) 3 YEARS

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-XZJ (MSN 39365)
QF593 OFF TO SYDNEY (SYD) 12 YEARS

CESSNA CITATION CJ2 VH-VPM (MSN 525A0354) 19 YEARS

PILATUS PC-9A VH-T63 (MSN 563) 35 YEARS

FIJI AIRWAYS BOEING 737 MAX 8 DQ-FAD (MSN 64308)
FJ980 OFF TO NADI (NAN) 7 YEARS

RAAF ROULETTES PILATUS PC-21 A54-020 (MSN 253)

RAAF ROULETTES PILATUS PC-21 A54-035 (MSN 268)

RAAF ROULETTES PILATUS PC-21 A54-044 (MSN 277)

RAAF ROULETTES PILATUS PC-21 A54-023 (MSN 256)

RAAF ROULETTES PILATUS PC-21 A54-024 (MSN 257)

RAAF ROULETTES PILATUS PC-21 A54-021 (MSN 254)

RAAF ROULETTES PILATUS PC-21 A54-034 (MSN 267)

Vietnam Airlines suffers serious takeoff incident at Munich

A Vietnam Airlines flight traveling from Munich (MUC/EDDM) to Hanoi (HAN/VVNB) experienced a very late rotation on Runway 26L earlier today. The 787-9 overran the end of the runway, became airborne past the threshold in the grass, sustained a confirmed tail strike, and suffered left main gear issues with tyre pressure warnings sounding in the cockpit.

Crew halted climb at FL10,000 feet, dumped fuel for ~90 minutes, performed two low level passes over runway 26R for visual inspection, then executed an emergency landing. Multiple left main gear tyres blew on touchdown. The aircraft vacated to taxiway Alpha 6 and was immobilized there.

No injuries have been reported. 

Substantial aircraft damage has been reported to the aircraft. (rear fuselage puncture, shredded tyres, tail strike module destroyed).

Investigations are underway.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Vietnam Airlines

Code: VN/HVN

Aircraft: Boeing 787-9

Registration: VN-A867

Serial Number: 39287

Engines: 2 x GEnx-1B

First Flew: 1st April 2016

Age: 10 Years

Sneak peak from the Gold Coast airshow

Yesterday morning, before my family and I set off to the Gold Coast for the weekend to attend the Pacific Airshow, we took a stroll through New Farm Park and along the waterfront, grabbed a cold drink, and snapped a few shots of aircraft departing Brisbane.

MALAYSIA AIRLINES AIRBUS A330-323 9M-MTM (MSN 1431)
MH134 OFF TO KUALA LUMPUR (KUL) 13 YEARS
SPORTING THE MUMBAI INDIANS LIVERY

QANTASLINK EMBRAER E190AR VH-UYU (MSN 19000126)
QLK1918 OFF TO GLADESTONE (GLT) 19 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8FE VH-VUK (MSN 36602)
VA1235 OFF TO ROCKHAMPTON (ROK) 19 YEARS

AIR NIUGINI BOEING 737-860 P2-PXA (MSN 40966)
PX6 OFF TO PORT MORESBY (POM) 13 YEARS

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-VZZ (MSN 39445)
QF57 OFF TO PORT MORESBY (POM) 14 YEARS

ALLIANCE EMBRAER E190AR VH-UYC (MSN 19000016)
IE715 OFF TO MUNDA (MUA) 21 YEARS
FLYING FOR SOLOMON AIRLINES

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHM (MSN 379)
SQ256 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 6 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-MAX 8 VH-8IB (MSN 65047)
VA45 OFF TO DENPASAR (DPS) 2 YEARS

QANTASLINK AIRBUS A220-300 VH-X4E (MSN 55312)
QLK1550 OFF TO TOWNSVILLE (TSV) 1 YEAR

CHINA SOUTHERN AIRBUS A330-343 B-8361 (MSN 1814)
CZ382 OFF TO GUANGZHOU (CAN) 8 YEARS

NAURU AIRLINES BOEING 737-83N VH-AN2 (MSN 30660)
ON346 OFF TO DARWIN (DRW) 23 YEARS

After spending a few hours there, we took our eldest daughter and her puppy, Alfie, back to their place, then made the hour-long drive to the coast, arriving in the midafternoon. Since Friday is a practice day for the airshow, I wasn’t too worried about missing the morning displays. I still managed to snap a few shots of the afternoon’s action.